


A Meeting With The Kata Envoy

by Metalife



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Summer Rose Court
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-06-29 15:36:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15732363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metalife/pseuds/Metalife
Summary: With an arrival of help from across the desert, could this be a potential new ally? Or a threat? (introduction of Sienna Khan into Summer Rose Court)





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This work contains some spoilers for Summer Rose Court, as it takes place about midway (around Act 2). If you prefer to not spoil some major plot for yourself (though I tried to avoid directly talking about them) then I would suggest playing it once through first.
> 
> Also, please keep in mind this is a rough try at incorporating Sienna Khan into the story. Characters might appear OOC.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queen meets with the first Kata envoy.

"The Kata faunus sent an envoy."

There was a tilt of Ruby's head as she sat on the throne in response to this news. After discussing the aftermath of Crescent Rose and the new spreading sickness, this was a complete change.

"That's... good, right? Actually that's amazing! They've always been isolationists." While she couldn't really say she knew much about the other desert tribes while living with the Xiao Longs, that went especially true for the Kata. "If we can get them to work with us, that's one more group helping us fight the Grimm."

"An alliance with the Kata might end up making you more enemies than friends. As it stands, they want..." Glynda let the silence hang, Ruby's brow raising as she waited for the drop. "...A ball."

"...A what now?"

The tick in Glynda's cheek grew with her frown, but before she could make her annoyance more known, there was a sound of heavy fabric falling back into place that drew their attention. Three sets of eyes were drawn to the entrance of the throne room, where the curtain still swayed slightly in place behind the woman who stood there.

Back straight, but arms held loosely at her sides, the stranger seemed strangely confident at being in the royal chamber as she approached the throne. The obvious clue to her identity was the dark furred ears poking out from her black short hair, a thin line of orange around their edges. Her outfit mainly black, the white trimmings of her sleeveless top and patches in her pants standing out, red rope cord loops the only splash of colour along her waist.

For a moment, Ruby thought it was the shadows between the streams of sunlight coming in through the windows that were adding darker paths along the woman's brown skin on her arms. Instead, they stayed still, the broad strokes of inlaid ink that held them there easier to study when she came to a pause just before the queen and her advisors. 

Ozpin's eyes flicked from the stranger back to Ruby.

"Your Highness, I would like to introduce Sienna of House Khan." As he spoke, Sienna crossed one arm over her stomach, a straight back as she slowly lowered into a bow before the throne. Gold eyes kept their gaze on Ruby the entire time, never breaking contact as she straightened back up. "She is the leader of the Kata envoy."

"It is an honour to finally have the chance to meet you, your majesty." Being this close made it easier to note the gold hoops pierced through one ear, sunlight catching them as well as a small red jewel resting on her forehead. "Despite the distance, we have heard much about your deeds since you took the throne." Sienna's focus moved over her as she spoke. Studying? Sizing her up?

"I can only hope that it has been at least mostly good." Ruby ignored the frown Glynda shot from the sidelines, as a quirk brought a trace of a smile to the faunus diplomat. "The journey here must have been tiring. I trust you have been settling in alright?"

"The castle has been very accommodating, given the recent Grimm attack." A certain shine came to her eyes as the topic came up. "There has been talk floating around that you managed to kill a Nevermore."

"It did take effort from a lot of our mages, but we did manage to take it down." Ruby returned Sienna's stare, not wanting to waver. "Thankfully, we also managed to keep the collateral damage down as well."

Glynda took a step forward, catching both of their attention as she interrupted. 

"Sorry, but there are matters that we need to go over with the queen. I'm afraid that we have to cut this meeting short today." 

"Of course. I understand." 

Despite those words, Sienna took another step closer to the throne. As the faunus dipped into another bow, Ruby almost stiffened up at feeling warm fingers lightly grasp one of her hands. As well as a kiss pressed onto the back of her hand.

"I look forward to having the opportunity to talk further, your majesty." Her smile grew wide as she stood back up, bright gleaming teeth as she made her farewell. Glynda kept her eyes trained on Sienna's back until she was out of the room, Ozpin stepping back into the conversation they were having beforehand.

"Ruby, there's a lot of bad blood between Beacon and the Kata faunus. Asking for a formal dinner... I think they do want an alliance, but they want it on their terms." 

There was a lot to absorb about the upcoming event that would hopefully bring in a new union strong enough to ward off the Grimm, but it was hard for Ruby to keep her thoughts from circling back to how Sienna had been during their meeting. Even with the intention on making peace, she couldn't help feeling like she was being judged against an unseen scale. The only question, did she measure up?

"Of course you will need to think about who you want as a partner."

The fingers of one hand drummed against the throne's arm as Ruby thought over her potential partners...


	2. Night Market

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frustrated and lonely, Ruby attempts to blow off steam by sneaking out for an evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if fight scene turned out good, and I got tired at the end, so please excuse sloppy ending. Otherwise, enjoy!

The Grimm attack and awakening of Crescent had all taken place in one night.

The cleanup of all the mess that came with it took much, much longer.

A week after, there were still cracks to seal, windows to replace, and walls to be shored up. Anyone that could help, from soldiers to volunteers, were being thrown in to fix it all before the Kata delegation could arrive, or another Grimm attack, whichever came first. But despite all the people moving from task to task inside and outside the castle, it felt lonelier than before.

Weiss and Yang seemed determined to stay on patrols near the leylines for as long as possible, only briefly stopping in once each before heading straight back out. Blake was still unseen and unheard from. And those of the court who did remain in the castle seemed to have their hands full. And there was only so long that Ruby could take staying inside, with nothing else to do other than her royal duties (mainly going over what to do and NOT do at a ball, which Glynda was determined to hammer into the newly crowned queen) before she could practically feel the stone walls closing in on her.

So when she overheard talk of the city holding a night market, it didn't take long for her to figure out a way to sneak out in her old desert robes.

Paper lanterns were strung up on lines across the market lanes, softly glowing against starlit sky. Hawkers called out over the passing crowds, attempting to catch more attention than their neighbours with their spiels. Steam rose up from sizzling grills, softly curling around the lanterns as the chefs moved swiftly to keep up with orders. 

Ruby wandered through, distracted by each new stall's shiny displays. And with her hood pulled up and the dimmed light, no one seemed to recognise just who it was that was stopping to look over carved wooden figurines or to almost be sold on weapon polish. For the first time in days, she didn't have the weight of the crown resting on her.

Perhaps that was why she wasn't paying enough attention to not smack right into someone as she moved away from a stall. The force of the collision made her stumble, almost tripping onto the ground before a grip wrapped around her forearm to pull her back up. 

"Careful there!" Gold met silver as realisation set in. "...your majesty."

As soon as the words came out of Sienna's mouth, Ruby cast a look around. Thankfully, it had been too quiet to rise above the rest, the crowds still moving past without a second glance. Her cover remained intact, even if the diplomat had yet to remove her hand.

"Uh, hi! Fancy meeting you out here!" _Just play it cool, and maybe she won't start asking why the queen is in disguise and with no guards._

"I could say the same, with that get-up." She scanned over the market as she spoke, before her gaze returned to Ruby. "And no bodyguards?" 

_Crap._

"Well, uh, I just didn't think it was necessary to drag someone along for a trip into the city." Even if Glynda would give her an earful later on about going unguarded if she found out about this. "There's so much work around the castle going on, why should I pull someone away just for this?"

"As if you're not more important than repairs?" With that small smile, Sienna seemed more amused than anything. A quick glance down reminded her of their contact, letting go of Ruby's arm. Cool night air chased the lingering warmth from her skin. 

"Don't you ever like to go off and do things on your own, without someone watching your every move?" Sienna's smile grew wider. 

"Even so, this seems like the kind of thing best enjoyed with someone else." Moving over to run a nearby stall's hanging fabric scroll between thumb and finger, she peeked back over. "Perhaps, instead, you might want to join me, your highness? It would be good to have someone who actually knows the city better than I do. Unless you do want to be alone for tonight."

"Oh!" That actually did sound nice. Maybe it would be a good opportunity to find out how the Kata felt about Beacon, and also the envoy themselves. And if she did wind up being found out for tonight, maybe she might slide by Glynda's temper if she could call it a 'diplomatic endeavour'. "Sure! I mean, yes, thank you. On one condition."

"Name it."

"You have to call me Ruby."

Talk came easily enough, the faunus having question after question about Beacon, the greater regions of Vale, and the Grimm. To which Ruby would throw back her own questions too. While there was enough known from the earlier war to give a decent idea of what to expect when the delegation turned up later on, there was still so much to learn. When she wasn't distracted by a blacksmith's display.

As Sienna examined the edge of a dagger for herself, there was a tug on Ruby's hem. There was a sniff as she looked down at a small child clinging to her leg, round brown-furred ears poking out from his head as he pleaded with tears running down his face. 

"My brother! Please, you have to help! They're going to kill him!"

"What?" A brief moment of panic passed as one hand went to where Little Thorn would have been, if she hadn't been expecting only a quiet market this night. Surely there would be some soldiers nearby that could help though. "Hold on-"

"There's no time, you have to help!" He tugged towards the direction of an alley opening, before dashing over to it. With only moments before he would disappear, she cast a look back at Sienna, who had only just noticed what was happening, dagger still in hand. Then she ran after the boy.

"Ruby!"

The noise of the market cut away as her own footsteps grew louder, using her semblance to catch up to just behind the faunus boy as he turned down another corner. 

A man leaned against one wall of the alleyway she turned into, holding out a small bag that was dropped into the boy's hands as he kept running past. Skidding to a halt, Ruby caught her breath as the man stepped into the middle of the path with another that had been out of sight, blocking it. Hairs on the back of her neck raising up, she half turned with a step to go back, only to find two others waiting there. All of them were wearing black hoods, pulled over to cast shadows over their faces.

"Your majesty." The first man crossed an arm over his stomach, dropping into a mocking bow briefly before pulling a sword out from his waist. On his cue, the others all reached for their weapons too, closing in.

Split between trying to break through forwards or back the way she came, she had only moments before the first man charged, leaving no choice. A blast of her semblance knocked him down the path with a shower of petals, flipping over to regain his footing as he landed. 

**Ruby, let me-**

_No!_ Not with last time still fresh in her mind.

Rapid steps behind her gave her a second to look over her shoulder to see one swing down a Dao blade. 

A chain whipped out of nowhere to wrap around the wielding arm, wrenching it and him backwards into a spin. Another yank sent him flailing down, face flying into a waiting boot. A quick motion, and Sienna freed her chain from him as he went down with a groan, turning on the next one there as she dropped to avoid a blow, one leg out to sweep his out from under him. The chain followed in an arc around her, a sharp rap ringing out as it met his head.

A yell, and Ruby's attention was pulled back to those before her. An arm up in time to deflect a grab, a sharp glint appeared in the other as he surged forwards. There was a rattle below her sight, which was her only warning before something wrapped tight around her waist, dragging her out of harm and to the end of the alley with a swift pull to wind up at Sienna's side. 

A bark of annoyance, and he opted to throw the dagger, flying straight towards her head. A twist of the wrist brought the chain back into motion as her hands slid up to the middle, the spinning metal slapping aside the blade. Neither of them stopped, him charging with a hand going for another dagger and Sienna slipping her grip back into place. Using the momentum, the end flew out to circle his neck, briefly choking him before flicking him into the wall to drop down motionless.

Recoiling it, she faced down the last remaining, who had paused in the midst of following the one before. Instead of attacking, he peered across at her face. "You-"

The chain whip reeled back over a shoulder, Sienna propping out her arm to shorten it coming back the other side. As it swung out underneath, the sharp tip popped off to fly at him. With a blue Dust coating.

There was a crack as it struck his centre, a puff of mist as ice suddenly encased him from hip to neck and dropped him on his back. There was a gasp as he hit the ground. And then quiet drew back in, the soft sounds of the market just behind them. No time to relax though, as she grabbed Ruby's arm and pulled her back the way they came.

"Move." She ordered, not pausing. The chain was now wrapped around one arm, handle still in her grip. "We don't know if more might be coming."

"Are they-"

"Unconscious? Yes. Dead? Only if they're unlucky." 

Before long, they were back at the entrance, lantern light brightening the path. There was no sign that anyone had a clue what gone down basically meters from them, the sales banter continuing around them unabated. There was a cheer as a fire juggler wrapped up his performance, pulling a stick out from his mouth with a grin.

"Do you always run at any call for help?" The whip slipped off of her arm and into a pack on her hip before other people could take notice. Despite the light and safety of the market, her shoulders were still raised with tension. 

"What else could I do? Sit back and hope the situation solves itself?" Grimm had been the only threat up until tonight that had existed for Ruby. Assassination attempts had existed for prior monarchs, but they had been far from her mind. A little kid leading her into one especially.

"Calling in other people before dashing off on your own is one option." With a sigh, Sienna let go again, taking a step away. "Good thing I saw you go. I don't think I wanted to have to go back to the castle being the last person to see you alive this evening. That wouldn't go over well for peace talks."

A laugh slipped out before Ruby could help it. 

"Here." She looked up to see a orange blob lobbed towards her. Both hands coming together, she caught it before it could be dashed against the stone below. Soft, the orange skin gave way to a red patch, a small broken stem on one end.

"A fruit?" Certainly not one that she recognised from Vale. Juice welled up from where one of her nails had pierced it.

"A mango." Sienna held another one as she flipped a coin over to the owner of a stall, lined up with all kinds of produce. "They're popular back home. Surprising to find some here. Might as well have some as we head back to the castle."

Curious, she bit into it. It gave way easily, soft flesh covered in sweet juice. 

Juice which then spilled right over and almost all done her front as she jumped, earning a laugh. 

"Why didn't you warn me?" A grin was her answer. "How do you eat these then?"

"Very carefully." Soon, their feet were following the path that would lead up the center of the city and to the gates of the castle.

"I suppose at worst, I could just throw it if another one of those guys pops out. All this juice would probably blind at least one of them."

"Truly a great choice for a weapon."

The night hadn't gone as planned (and judging from the sight of Glynda standing ramrod straight at the main door when they arrived, the morning wouldn't be much better) but at least, now Ruby had one person in the castle to talk with. Even if they didn't know of Crescent Rose yet.


	3. Sparring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance for a friendly match brings new information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying my hand at fighting scenes. Don’t know how it turned out, but hopefully able to follow the motions.

SRC - Sienna Khan 3

There was a ring of metal hitting metal from the training yard. 

Nothing really unusual for the place, other than the guards didn't typically practice their drills late in the afternoon. There was warm sunlight streaming into the hallway as Ruby peered out a window to the yard, just finished with the day's royal duties.

Blake's scythe sailed across the yard, only to be swatted out of the air by the end of a familiar chain, Sienna then continuing the momentum through a spin to launch back at her opponent. A black blade deflected it as Blake tried to close the distance.

Both were giving nothing short of their best, but anyone could tell from the smiles on their faces that this was not a duel to the death. A rattle, and then they were face to face, chain held across to block Gambol and Shroud. 

"You're going to have do better than that to land a hit." With her back towards the window that Ruby was watching from, the queen could see more of the tiger stripe tattoos across an open back of her outfit. Tense muscles raised, their lines gleaming under the dying light as Sienna pushed back against the blades trying her.

_**Getting distracted there?** _

_Hush._ She could basically feel a laugh in the back of her head before Crescent pulled away.

There was a sharp grin in response, and sparks flew as Blake sought a new opening. This close up, surely blades would have the advantage to a chain whip. And yet, with dodging and wheeling around, Sienna managed to keep one step ahead. 

It all eventually came to a head as Blake attempted a slash to centre mass. The chain whip snaked up around her forearm, a sharp tug disrupting the attack and pulling her off-balance. A following leg sweep sent them both to the ground, Sienna pressing the advantage of to bring her Dust dagger tip to the other faunus’s throat.

“Looks like this is my round.” 

Her eyes flicked as footsteps rounded the entrance to the yard, pulling back from Blake at seeing Ruby appear. 

“What’s going on?”

“A bit of cultural exchange.” There was a rattle as Sienna’s chain wrapped back around her arm as she stood up. “Your councillor here has been helping me learn the city.” Blake rolled to her feet as she was mentioned, dusting off dirt from her clothes.

“And testing out fighting styles.” There was a wince as Blake rolled a shoulder. “Wasn’t expecting that from a diplomat.”

“Can’t exactly afford not to be able to fight with the way the Grimm are.” Pausing for a moment, Sienna turned back to Ruby with a smile. “Feel up for a round yourself, your highness?”

There was a tease in her tone, almost goading the royal into a match. A huff of air escaped Ruby. If Yang was here, she would certainly jump at the chance to show off. Herself though? Little Thorn was resting in her room, far enough away to make the walk seem not worth it. 

"We could even add a bet if you like."

"A bet?" 

\--------------------------------------------------  
There was a tilt to the faunus's head as Ruby returned back to the yard with her glaive.

"Expecting something else?"

"Well, yes." There was an idle twirling of her chain, a few inches loose as she waited. "With all the stories about the Roses, I was expecting some kind of mystical sword." The twirling stopped, thumb running over the edges of the chain's tip. "But I guess this will make things more interesting."

"So what were the rules going to be?" Ruby tested the weight of Little Thorn in both hands, holding the blade end against one shoulder as she waited for the start. Blake had moved over to lean against a nearby wall, keeping a close eye from the shade.

"First one to give up, or to hit the ground, loses. Nothing else really." Her stance widened as one foot moved back, pushing out a line in the dirt. "Whenever you're ready."

"And your bet is still going to be..."

"The rest of the afternoon with you." Her smile gleamed, though her eyes kept focused on Ruby. "And yours was to examine my weapon."

_**Was that really the best you could think of with that opportunity?** _

_Yes. It was._ So she had mentally blanked on what to bet for when asked, so what?

A loop of the chain slipped off Sienna's wrist as she dropped the tip, twirling once again. "I'll even give you the first move, your majesty." 

Irritation crawled up Ruby's neck at that. Part of her wondered if the attack by the assassins had left the envoy with assumptions on how well the queen could fight. Another part thought maybe she was just that confident in the skills she showed off that night. Regardless, it was time to find out.

There was a moment of finding her grip, before dashing forward to slash across. Her target was already spinning to one side, ducking down as chain swept out aiming for Ruby's legs. 

A hop meant it whizzed underneath her feet. And using the slash from before to plant her blade into the ground, the combined momentum allowing her to launch into a kick as she held tight to the polearm. Her foot collided with something solid, feeling Sienna stagger back from the blow to her shoulder.

There was only time for the small warmth of satisfaction for landing the first blow, before they were back into it. The chain would snap around, Sienna's ability to curve it around legs and arms helped her speed, and made it harder to judge just where to block before it would whip back around for another attack. All she could hear was the crash of metal as she spun Little Thorn around to block another strike trying to sneak around the side. 

Shoving another attack away, Ruby ignored the aching in her arms to attempt another swing. Instead of dodging, the chain flew around to wrap around the blade of her glaive, a swift yank that followed pulling her almost off her feet. Stumbling, she could see Sienna moving in, eyes gleaming as she saw the end in sight.

Which disappeared as a strong gust filled with rose petals threw her back, her feet barely getting back to ground before reaching the wall of the yard. The chain slipped off Little Thorn as the wind died down. For a moment, Ruby thought she might have overdone it, until Sienna retracted her chain to her arm, seemingly unaffected from having her back meet stone. When met with a frown, Ruby shrugged and grinned.

"You didn't say no semblances." The frown deepened, before there was a widening of the envoy's eyes. A smile slipped back on, sapping some of the confidence from the queen.

"That is true." The warmth she could feel in the air no longer felt like just that of the afternoon sun. There was now another source, radiating off Sienna as a shine of orange flared up around her, hanging like a layer of mist. Although the shape of it was vague, she could swear it mimicked Sienna's tiger ears, although much bigger in form as the two peaks grew. 

She snapped back to attention as the chain arced towards her, the glow shooting up it to be thick as a pillar. Dodging back as it narrowly missed, she could see the shape of claws jutting out of the orange, almost just like a cat's paw tried to swipe at her. 

Even with now freely using her own semblance, Ruby felt back at square one, forced on the defensive. The blows were just as fast, but now it felt like there was more power to them. Not to mention her own attacks seemed to simply glance off the gleam anytime she got close. How hard would she have to swing to make it connect?

Trying to think of how to break past Sienna's defences, she should have instead paid attention to where the chain was heading next, snapping up from below. A quick wrap around her wrists, a tug to pull them together and lose their grip, and Sienna stepping close put a foot behind one of her own, and in the next instant Ruby was looking up at the sky. 

A groan slipped out before she could help herself. Despite the aches from blocking so much growing up her arms, she couldn't help being disappointed with losing. 

"Not bad." Looking over from her position on the ground, she could see Sienna's shoulders moving with the deep breathes she was taking, a sheen of sweat catching in the sunlight. But her eyes and smile were glowing almost bright as the sinking sun. "Definitely made me have to work for it."

"That was certainly more than I was expecting." Ruby pushed her arms up to highlight the chain still tying her up. "Any chance you could free me now?"

There was a brief pause as Sienna looked back down, only now taking in the scene. She could have sworn there was a flash of red on her cheeks as the chain came loose, though it was easy enough to put it down the match. Slipping the weapon into her hip pocket, Sienna offered a hand to pull up the beaten queen. 

"I guess a bet is a bet." Glancing over, she spotted Blake disappearing, offering a smile as she went after Oobleck. "What was it you had in mind?"

\---------------------------------------------------

Sitting up on top of the castle walls with a steaming hot cup of green tea for each of them was certainly not what she thought Sienna would have in mind. A pot with more in it lay cooling between them as they took in the city in front, drenched in gold as the sun started to reach the horizon.

"I've met a few more of your councillors running around." Sienna started off, resting her cup in both hands. "You certainly have quite a selection, from knights to monks to... dragon tamers?" 

"Oh, Yang? Did she show off Ember and Celica?"

"Only briefly before heading out. Back home, there are some dragons kept as basically guard dogs, but calling them tame would be a stretch." She took a sip of the tea as she paused. "From what I've heard, you were living in the desert with her up until the coronation. No one knew where you had been for the last few years. What made you come back?"

"Well, the short of it was, that I was needed." She could go into how Glynda had spent years scouring the plane to drag her back to throne, but that was probably too much. "Although if I had known what kind of mess I'd be coming back to, I would definitely been more tempted to stay. But I'm where I need to be now, making a difference and trying to get people to come together." The tea in her hands radiated warmth back into her, helping with the aches. “I guess sort of like your role.”

“Hmm.” She swirled around the tea in her cup, looking down at the small leaves swishing around the bottom. “When I left, there was a lot of division over whether the Kata should actually want an alliance with Vale in the first place. The war might be history now, but the scars are still felt by many. And seeing the Menagerie here, I’m pretty sure some of them would wonder if history might repeat.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely not the city’s crowning achievement.” If only Ruby could tear down that bloody wall herself without having to wade through papers and politics.

“Though Blake tells me it’s already strides better than it was before you came to the throne. And it’s plain to see people actually have hope about fighting back the Grimm. It’s more than I expected to see from a queen who’s only led a few months now.” Was all the sun getting to her in her armour, or was it the praise that gave Ruby a surge of warmth? “Strange to think peace might actually be possible.” 

“…Wasn’t that your entire reason for coming?”

Another pause before Sienna turned to look at her. One hand came close to push back a lock of hair, before she drew even closer. Soon, her face was about an inch away from Ruby’s, warm hand resting against her cheek. Her breath was trapped in her chest as they held that way for a moment.

Sienna blinked, seeming to come back to the present. Ruby could hear her breathe out a sigh, before their foreheads pressed together. And then the envoy pulled back, standing up.

“Good night, Ruby.” 

And with that, she was off. The breath Ruby had been holding slipped out as Sienna disappeared. While she could understand the political reasons that a diplomat might want to avoid a scene like that, all she was left with the ending sunset and the thoughts of what it would have been like if Sienna hadn’t held back.


	4. Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets start to come to light, the envoy is not all she seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so here comes the third last chapter for this route. It didn’t quite turn out how I would have liked, but at least it’s done. After this, I only have planned the ball, and an epilogue chapter. With some luck, that will all be up within two weeks time. Wish me luck with that!

"Whoever you pick must be someone you have chemistry with, and someone who can display their aura in an impressive manner." 

_Okay, Ruby. You can do this. It's just a dance._

_It doesn't have to mean anything. You're not asking them to get married._

"How about Sienna?" As soon as the question had been posed, Ruby's mind wandered back to their match. If dancing was how they prepared themselves to fight, then surely that would make her a very good choice to go with.

"The Kata envoy?" Glynda held a hand to her chin as she mused over this option. "While we might be aiming to cement an alliance, they might take choosing their own diplomat as outright pandering."

"But showing a good bond between our queen and their envoy..." Ozpin interjected, cane softly tapping against the stone floor. "That might be enough to sway them over to our side." 

"True... Although given this was the Kata's request, Khan might be inclined to turn down the request, in case of bias." The wizard gave a small shrug. "Though I guess it couldn't hurt to ask her." 

The acceptance of her choice left Ruby buzzing. She did pause though, in recalling that despite Sienna's initial eagerness in getting to know the royal, the last few weeks had been only scattered sightings and appearances. Although maybe that was due to the many other problems among her court that she had been dealing with.

\-----------------------------------------------------------  
A day went by after leaving a message for the envoy, hoping her request wouldn't be turned down. Ruby almost started to wonder if she had even been in the castle to find it, when Sienna walked into the throne room, a folded paper in one hand.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting." She tapped the paper against the palm of her other hand, before sliding it away. "I got a bit tied up in the city. Although I have to say, I definitely wasn't expecting to come back to find you asking me to be your partner for the ball."

"W-well, with wanting to make the best shot at peace with the Kata, I thought..." She couldn't keep this up. "...I just really wanted to dance with you." Ruby admitted, trying to ignore the red coming to her cheeks.

A pause. Then a huff of air came from Sienna, a quiet rumble punctuating it.

"You don't exactly need the ball for that to happen, Ruby." There was a smirk to her face now that Ruby could look at her. "You only need to ask." She could feel the heat spreading across her cheeks just as Glynda strode into the room, the newly repaired doors swinging shut behind her.

"Have you decided on what type of dance you may try?" Her sudden lack of dancing ability came right back to the forefront of Ruby's thoughts. Sure, there was the Xiao Long festival dances, but could all that jumping and leaping be right for a ball?

"If we're going to go for showing a genuine reaching out to the Kata, I do know a few formal dances." Sienna said, moving in when Ruby froze. "How fast we could make and learn a routine, is up for debate."

"Then I suppose we should get started straight away then."

The rest of the morning passed away in a blur of movement. Basic steps came easy enough, but the struggle began when trying to put them to the fast pace that Sienna was used to. Progress was being made though, even if only in managing to bring down the frequency of stepping on her partner's foot. Thankfully, Sienna said nothing other than to correct her when it happened. By the end of it all, some idea of what their routine would be was starting to form. 

"Thank the stars there's still two more weeks." Ruby exhaled, her feet grateful for a chance to stop with Glynda calling an end to practice. 

"I wasn't expecting you to pick it all up right away." Sienna offered a smile. There was a flicker to her gaze before it settled back on her. "Still, you've got the foundations down now, so hopefully my toes will remain intact." 

"That was only like three times."

The smile grew as Ruby grumbled, but it seemed like something was distracting her. As Glynda ran over scheduling for more practice, outfits and the arrival of the Kata delegation, the envoy would keep to humming agreement or giving a better time for ones she couldn't do. As the wizard left, attention needed elsewhere, Ruby placed a hand on Sienna's arm to catch her attention.

"Is there something wrong?" The faunus's smile faltered.

"What makes you ask that?"

"Well, you have been hard to find for a while. And now that you're here, it seems like there's something else on your mind." 

"...I guess I have been finding myself more busy. "

"Was it something that I did?"

"What? No! It's just..." She closed her eyes, taking a breath before focusing back on the queen. "There's a lot more to ensuring an alliance goes ahead than just putting on a nice party and dance for the delegation. If only it was that easy." Her ears flicked back as she talked. "Let's just say there are people who see more benefits in keeping peace from going ahead, and I'm trying to persuade them otherwise."

Her gaze slid past Ruby again, mouth creasing into a frown. "And unfortunately, I do have some more negotiations to take care of. I'll see you again tomorrow, your majesty." And just like that, she was gone again, throne doors shutting quietly behind her.

Something was up. Ruby looked over her shoulder at the window that was directly behind her. Nothing but blue sky and the garden outside to see. Yet that was where her attention had kept sliding. And now she was going back to calling her by titles again.

With all the mess caused by Crescent's awakening, having another person distancing themselves was the last thing she wanted out of this. So, what else but to follow?

Which became immediately harder than Ruby had thought upon finding the hall empty, and no trace to follow.

_**Or perhaps I could offer some help?**_ At the end of the hall, a silver vine pulled itself out from the wall, pointing its tip down one exit. _**I do have some knowledge of this castle, after all.**_

It took some time, but eventually Ruby found herself outside a room, not too far from the rooms given to her court. Was this where other guests of the castle were put? That didn't matter right now, not when she could hear murmurs inside, Sienna talking with someone else.

"...as I told you, go home. The plan was off the moment I said so. End of discussion."

"You would let this go ahead, disregarding all that happened in the war?" There was a vague feeling that she had heard this voice before, but there was nowhere she could place it. "We should be taking advantage of this, not playing friends with them!" 

"And killing the monarch brings us what exactly? We lose one of the only other people able to fight the Grimm effectively, and we bring a war back onto our doorstep. You and the rest of them might be able to put revenge ahead of a future, but I am not!"

The door creaked, the result of Ruby trying to listen closer but winding up nudging it open with a foot instead. Gold eyes stared openly from across the bedroom, where Sienna stood with another bear faunus man next to her. Now that she could see him, she could recognise them as one of the servants that had come with Sienna's group. 

The envoy froze. Which was understandable, being caught discussing murder of the person who had interrupted. The servant however, did not. 

He got halfway across the room in a dash, but the knife was barely a gleam in his hand before vines intercepted him. A strangled scream came as thorns bit into skin, restraining him against a wall. Two vines in particular came forth, ready to strike at his neck.

"Don't."

They stopped in mid-air, hovering as Crescent mulled over the request. 

_**Fine.**_ Instead, he was flung towards a window and out. There was a yell as he went and a hefty thud from below shortly after. _**I'll just deal with him out here until the guards come.**_

"...so there is a spirit watching over the royal family here too." Sienna said, after watching him go. As she turned back to Ruby, letting out a breath as her ears sunk down, shoulders rigid. "And I suppose I'll be following him? Or were you going to take a more personal approach?"

"No!" That brought a slight jump to Sienna, and a wince for Ruby, not meaning that so loud. "Why would I kill you? I just heard you trying to stop him from doing that to me."

"And you just took that at face value? Just like at the market?"

"Yes. I mean, it's not like you wouldn't have had your pick of chances if that wasn't the case." Hell, she could have even walked back the other way instead of rescuing her from assassins when that had happened. "But it wouldn't exactly hurt if you explained what was going on." That helped lose some of the tension. Eyes shut, another deep breath, and then her shoulders came down as she focused back on Ruby.

"What would you like to know?"

"Are you actually an envoy of the Kata?" There was a laugh.

"Yes, just not the original one they were going to send over. He was more of the same idea as that man. I took over when we figured that out." She tilted her head back to the window. "Unfortunately, a few still managed to tag along. Including those at the market."

"So the alliance talks were just a smokescreen?"

"If they had got their say, yes again. Most of the Kata do want peace instead of another war, so I came to represent them. Our countries might have been at each other's throats decades ago, but that doesn't mean that we have to continue down the same line."

“Wait, if they want peace, and we want peace, then why haven’t we already signed up a treaty then?”

“Politics. Hence the ball. A show of good faith and respect, and you’ll have your allies the moment the dance ends. It’s that simple… provided you’re still alive for that to happen.”

Sienna shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “So, if you’re not going to kill me, or throw me in prison, as you haven’t called for the guards yet… what happens now?” Ruby shook her head, thinking it was obvious.

“What happens, is we continue preparing for the ball. I do still need a dance partner, after all.” Gold eyes widened, then they gleamed as that familiar smile came back.

“Hasn’t anyone told you that you should really be more careful of assassins?”

“Actually yes.” Another laugh, which she was beginning to enjoy drawing out of Sienna. “So unless you’re going to save a blade for the dance, I guess we should get back to preparing.”

“Right.” With a few slow steps to bridge the gap, cautious as if the vines would eventually whip out for her regardless, Sienna reached for one of Ruby’s hands to bring it back between both of hers. Dipping down, another warm kiss was pressed to the back of her palm, tingles shooting up her arm. 

“Thank you, Ruby.”


	5. Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kata delegation, and the night of the ball arrives. How will it all turn out for the queen and the envoy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, originally I promised about two weeks for this chapter to arrive after the last.
> 
> That turned out to be a huge lie.
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy.

The time of the dance came far sooner than Ruby would have liked. The Kata faunus arrived, surrounded by guards in gleaming armour and weapons. A whirlwind of meetings, greetings, and practicing flew past, and then there she was, taking a deep breath as the throne room doors opened before her. 

The indiscernible rumble of conversations around the hall met her first, guests from Vale and Kata mingling freely. The noise died down as the queen’s entrance was noticed, some eager nobles quick to jump at engaging her in pleasantries. Ruby returned them as best as she could despite her nerves for tonight, and distractedly looking past them over the crowd. She could spot others of her court around, Ser Weiss being her usual curt self, Yang boasting to a group of Kata warriors decked out in ceremonial armour.

But no sign of her partner.

Excusing herself from the latest noble, she only got a few steps further in before a blonde faunus with a monkeys tail to match bounced into her path, a 'man of no notable bloodline, completely normal and average in every way'.

“Excuse me.” A warm hand pressed slightly into her lower back as another joined her side. Ruby looked over to find Sienna, the lights of the chandeliers catching the glittering streaks of gold over her eyes and extra rings placed in her ears. A soft smile greeted her. “Sorry if I’m late.”

A maroon cape draped around her, divided into four segments to join up around her neck and shoulders to two loops of gold, a short tasseled cord of red also hanging from them. Underneath seemed to be close to Sienna's regular outfit, but overtaken by red and gold, part of her back cut out to put her tiger stripes on display through the cape. Dark cords ran through the trim of her boots up to her calf and over sleeves on her forearms. Themselves only attached to a gold ring on each middle finger, an embellished white design like a spear point placed over each hand leading to them. The cord around her waist had been replaced with a thick band, ending in a long tassel to hang off one side of her hips, a tarnished gold base holding it together.

Her expression dropped as she focused on the other faunus, introduced as Sun, who had also adopted a blank slate for a face. A moment passed before he seemed to find his tongue again.

“Good to see you again, cousin.” There was a twitch to Sun’s lips as a smirk appeared. 

“And you as well. Glad you’re still in one piece since your disappearing act.” His eyes cast over to where some of the group Yang was entertaining were talking quietly to themselves, glances their way not really hidden. “Your father has especially been worried about you, and tonight.” 

“I’m not surprised, considering where he might hear it from.” There was a flick of one ear. Annoyance? “Well, he won’t be left waiting much longer to hear about it himself. It's almost time for the first dance." 

True, the orchestra and Glynda were looking across the hall at them, the space now quieting as people cleared the floor. Despite the smile on her face as they left Sun, Ruby could feel her nerves threatening to jump up out of her throat as they drifted into place. So many eyes, all staring her way. Watching, waiting.

"Hey." Although only a whisper, it was enough for her to focus back on Sienna's face. "You've beaten down massive Grimm, and united all the realms together." A soft smile, that gave Ruby enough pause from her panic to breathe. "This dance is just another challenge to face."

"Sounds like you've had experience with this." A sly shrug as the smile widened. Of course, she was a diplomat. Sienna must have done this sort of thing a hundred times over back home already. 

"What I definitely know is, it's always a lot easier with someone you trust." The full force of amber eyes was on her. "And you trust me, right?"

No answer would come as the music started, falling into their steps with the practiced grace that came with hours of practice past sunset. The fast pace of the rhythm and the closeness of their dance making that necessary, Ruby's tension leaving as she matched Sienna perfectly. 

She didn't even realize she was smiling again until she returned from a spin into Sienna's arms, seeing it mirrored on her partner's face. 

A gust blew across the room, rose petals scattering as the familiar orange glow of Sienna's semblance appeared over her as they spun again. The same heat of that afternoon spar filled the air, forming down from Sienna's head, over her body, and down through her arms to where Ruby's hand waited. It spilled over to her, tingling as it ran across her arm and up. 

Given how Sienna had last used her semblance seriously was in a duel, maybe it would have been expected for this connection to hurt. All she felt was the warmth spreading across her skin as they moved, the gleaming semblance anchored in place by their hands. All it would take to vanish would be to let go. 

The wind blew around them as they kept moving, petals twisting up around them, blocking out everyone else as they kept twirling around the room. 

Ruby whirled out from Sienna as the gust stopped, the semblance connection barely held in place by fingertips for a second before she was pulled back in again. They ended face to face, an arm around her back holding her in place, their other hands holding tight as the petals drifted down around them, coating over Sienna's semblance on them both. Not that the arm was needed, with the vines twining around their feet, sprouting roses. 

As the music died down, the applause started. Ruby cast her gaze around, eager to see if the display had worked on the Kata delegation. They were clapping along as enthusiastically as the rest of the room, the perfect image to rid the last of her anxiety. Even with a few of the older persons in the group seeming to focus entirely on Sienna as everyone moved in, splitting them up as others asked for their chance to dance, especially Sun, who managed to jump to the front of them all. Looking back to her partner, she met Sienna's gaze, a look of pride on her face before she was pulled away and the crowd became too thick.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

With the first dance of the night done, the rest of them seemed to pass in a blur of colour and lights. The rest of the council found their way to floor as well, branching off into their own groups. She managed to find her way back to the throne eventually, taking her peace as she could find it.

Which soon left as Adam Taurus approached, bone white mask and Nevermore feathers, asking for a dance.

Pulled back onto the floor, she moved around the floor and the faunus as best as she could. Despite the amount of time since they had last talked, the agitation in him was clear through both his steps and words. Before he might have done anything regretful, another cut into the dance. 

Velvet Scarlatina, the teacher from the faunus district. Whereas Adam had been blunt as a hammer, Velvet was sharp as a knife, tearing into her swiftly as they kept up the charade of a dance. A spin, and the glimpses of white masks around the room drove home the threat delivered at the end. 

"Tread carefully."

There was a presence to her side as Velvet pulled back, heat rolling off Sienna as she made herself known. 

"I trust that there isn't a problem here?" Too much teeth showed for that to be friendly. Velvet blinked at her, no changes to her expression. 

"Of course not, I was just taking my leave." She dipped into a short curtsy. "Your Majesty, your Highness."

Sienna's ears flicked back as the other faunus disappeared into the crowd, muttering a curse under her breath. 

"Wait..." Using two terms of address for Ruby? That didn't seem right, unless it had been meant for both of them. Pieces finally started to fall into place inside her head. The attention from the delegation, arriving only just before the dance, being in a good position in the first place to know of the envoy and take it over. A hand on her arm pulled her back out of those thoughts, tugging her towards an unwatched exit.

"We need to talk."

\----------------------------------------------------------

The cool air that met them on the balcony was a welcome change from the packed room left behind them. A few torches had been left lit in case of guests coming out, but for the time being, they were the only two out there. The extra light wasn't necessary, not with the bright moon and more stars than Ruby could count hanging over them in the night sky.

Sienna walked over to the stone railing, trailing a hand over the top of it. "I expected it to have to come out eventually, just not right before I was going to do it."

"So you're a queen as well?" That brought out a short laugh, Sienna turning back to face Ruby with a grin as she leaned back on the railing.

"Princess, actually. My father is still very much alive." She was more relaxed now that they were alone, arms loosely crossed. "Just old, and with a bunch of advisors set in their ways dictating the country for him. One of whom you probably would have met if I hadn't decided otherwise." Ruby walked over, propping her elbows up on the railing beside Sienna. 

"Guess it's best you jumped in then." _If only for the chance for them to have met._ Despite her best attempts to focus on the constellations above, she kept peeking over at the faunus, watching how the silver light kept glowing across her skin. "I don't know if an alliance could have formed without your help."

"Really?" Sienna turned around to face the railing as well. Shadows now draped over her face, but her eyes and smile still shone out from them. "You give yourself too little credit. With the history between our countries, they might have been biased. But after meeting you, a queen willing to charge down an alleyway on her own to help a child? That wouldn't have lasted long."

"I don't know if I'd trust such a queen. Especially not one to forgive a potential assassin after catching them." Ruby teased. Sienna grinned, leaning in close enough to bump shoulders. 

"Good thing the 'assassin' turned out to be a princess then." A chill breeze came, doing little to sway the warmth coming off Sienna. "A queen who cares and fights for her people, who gives a chance to trusting strangers and making change. It's no wonder you pulled together such a council of amazing people to your side." Somewhere in all that, she had rested one hand over Ruby's, fingers entwining almost naturally.

It would have been nice to stay out here, enjoying the night sky and the closeness between them in comfortable silence. But a question needed to be asked.

"So after tonight, after the alliance is set, what will you do?" There was a shifting of fabric and cool air flowing between them, Sienna letting go to stand up straight with a sigh.

"I'll have to return home as soon as possible along with the news. I may be a princess, but even for me there are consequences for breaking rules that can't be avoided. After all that's dealt with, back to studying and training for succession, whenever that might be."

"So, it's likely we may not see each other again. At least not for a long time." It was a pretty big trip to make between their two capitals, taking weeks at minimum for a convoy. Normally, there were very few reasons for royalty to make such trips, barring important ceremonies. Peace between them could certainly be one of those times, but other than that? It would probably be diplomats coming and going instead.

"Maybe." Sienna rubbed a thumb over one of her rings, looking up. "Or maybe there could be a reason to."

"Like what?"

"If you marry me."

If not for the wind carrying on, she could have sworn that time had frozen in that moment.

"What?"

"I know we haven't known each other very long. And I don't mean 'let's get married right now', just engaged." The words rushed out of Sienna as they faced each other. She reached out for her hand again, holding it loosely as she took a breath to slow down. "But I do feel like there is something here. Something I don't want to just let slip by. I want the chance for more time with you, and this seems the best way for that." It took time for Ruby to find her tongue again after that sudden proposal.

"And what if we spend that time together, and nothing comes of it?" Getting engaged just for a chance to date? Then again, there were worse reasons that people proposed to each other for. 

"Then we can say we tried, and break the engagement. The alliance would still be set either way." She added in. "I'm not expecting you to have an answer straight away for me. Not even tonight if you can't."

"...Yes."

"Or even days from now, I don't know how you're supposed to typically think over these- What did you say?"

"I said yes. You said it yourself, that there was something there." Tightening her grip on the hand she was holding, Ruby took a step in to close the distance between them. "And I want to see what there is to it too." Even if she felt like she was diving off a cliff into an ocean, there was enough of Sienna that she had seen to be willing to take that plunge.

All Sienna could do was pause at having it accepted so quickly. But soon, Ruby was being tugged up against her, wrapped up to melt in warm arms. There was a rumbling sound, which took a few moments for Ruby to realize was coming from Sienna's chest, vibrating out into her.

"Just so you know, there's still time to change your mind." Sienna murmured, Ruby feeling the words more than hearing them in this embrace. "But only until I leave, then there's no take-backs." She grinned as Ruby broke out of the hold long enough to shove at one shoulder. "Still, I suppose we should seal this."

"You mean, with a ring?" The only ones she had seen on Sienna had been the ones attached to her sleeves. 

"There is that. And also another way." Her free hand brushed across Ruby's cheek, moving red hair back to cup her chin. Her breath caught in her throat as Sienna pulled her back in, only to pull up their hands still connected, pressing a heated kiss to the back of her palm. 

She huffed, earning a laugh before Sienna tugged again, bringing her all the way in for the kiss that would sear across her lips. Arms folded over her again, one clutching at the back of her hair, as Ruby's own hands found their way to the cape's base, grasping at the thick fabric as the heat spread right through her body. 

Even with the knowledge that someone would come looking for them if they kept out here for too long, it was hard for that to be enough reason to eventually separate. Still, even with the dull roar of the crowd inside returning as they reached the door, their hands held tight. Pushing the door open with the other, Sienna looked back at her, smile still shining across her face more than the lights that begun spilling outside. The sight was more than enough for Ruby to have no regrets about the decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue still to come.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The true ending to this story

Light exploded across her view, practically burning her eyes as Ruby fell out of the dark void of Luna Fracta's domain. A brief rush of air screamed past her ears, a quick glimpse of a full moon and stars hanging above as she twisted around, then a crash into cold water.

Silence fell back over the oasis, until she broke the surface with a splash, coughing and hacking as she drifted to the shore with what strength was left. After the last of the water in her lungs was gone and was replaced with the fresh air, the spluttering turned to laughing, and the laughing onto victorious shouting. 

Alive. Alive and home in oasis near the Xaio Long's camp. 

Something hit the water nearby as Ruby neared the shore, a familiar voice called out her name as they waded closer. Ruby turned, just in time to be crushed into a hug. The heat radiating off Sienna drove the chill of the water out from her clothes and helped with her aching muscles. It was all she needed as the exhaustion caught up with her, leaving her hanging in the Kata princess's arms.

Then came the news. Ruby had been gone, wandering that void, for months. Crescent had shown a dream to Sienna, possibly the only way they knew she was still alive. Finding Crescent gone, and now in the charm that had led her home. Shattered, and waiting for a choice to be made.

\------------------------------------------------------

The stars blinked out one by one, dark sky receded into blue as the sun began to rise beyond the dunes, golden light ready to break across the sands. Sienna guided them over to a nearby horse, helping Ruby up into the saddle to then swing up behind her. With her arms on either side to hold the reins, Sienna wasn't leaving much to chance of the queen swaying too far and off the horse.

"I'll be alright." She said as they tightened around her as she wavered. "Just... there's a lot to do." Sienna was quiet in response. 

"...You know, this would be a good opportunity to elope, don't you think?" Strange that there was enough energy left for the joke, but it was worth the startled laugh that slipped out above her. 

"All that time spent in that Grimm damned place... and the first thing you can think of is to run off together."

"What, does it not sound like a good idea?"

"I'd say having two members of royalty go missing after each other would lead to the biggest hunt our kingdoms would have ever seen." Gripping one wrist gently, she pulled up Ruby's hand to her, brushing a kiss to the back of it. "And I'd prefer to enjoy this without more to worry about." Her lips soon moved onto the queen's cheek, Ruby turning her face to meet her all the way.

Sunlight spilled gold across the sands in front of them as the sky grew brighter with each passing minute. The temperature continued to rise along with the sun, the familiar press of it on their backs. Regardless of the pain and exhaustion, Ruby looked onwards to home, ready to keep moving forward.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

_With the alliance with the Kata set in stone, Princess Sienna Khan returned to her country. It took time to fully embrace having peace with Vale, by the time Sienna eventually took the throne, the countries' ties were stronger than it had been in a century._

_As the borders between them became less enforced, travel became more frequent over the next few years. Especially for either side of royalty. Most figured it was because the two queens had formed a bond over making the alliance, though only their councils knew exactly how close that 'bond' was before their engagement was formally announced._

_Two royal lines, once bitter enemies, became one._

_They would go on to have three children, including one set of twins._

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that is the end to this fic. Certainly took me long enough to finish. I hope you have enjoyed this piece of fanfiction about a fangame. If you have any questions about things (like backstory for Sienna. There was quite a bit I thought of that just didn't get a chance to come up) or feedback, feel free to leave a comment! Thank you for reading!


End file.
